贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > bird neighbors >

第7章

bird neighbors-第7章

小说: bird neighbors 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




BIRDS CONSPICUOUSLY BLACK

COMMON CROW

(Corvus americanus) Crow family

Called also: CORN THIEF; 'AMERICAN CROW; AOU 1998'

Length  16 to 17。50 inches。 Male  Glossy black with violet reflections。 Wings appear   saw…toothed when spread; and almost equal the tail in length。 Female  Like male; except that the black is less brilliant。 Range  Throughout North America; from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico。 Migrations  March。 October。 Summer and winter resident。

If we have an eye for the picturesque; we place a certain value upon the broad; strong dash of color in the landscape; given by a flock of crows flapping their course above a corn…field; against an October sky; but the practical eye of the farmer looks only for his gun in such a case。 To him the crow is an unmitigated nuisance; all the more maddening because it is clever enough to circumvent every means devised for its ruin。 Nothing escapes its rapacity; fear is unknown to it。 It migrates in broad daylight; chooses the most conspicuous perches; and yet its assurance is amply justified in its steadily increasing numbers。

In the very early spring; note well the friendly way in which the crow follows the plow; ingratiating itself by eating the larvae; field mice; and worms upturned in the furrows; for this is its one serviceable act throughout the year。 When the first brood of chickens is hatched; its serious depredations begin。 Not only the farmer's young fledglings; ducks; turkeys; and chicks; are snatched up and devoured; but the nests of song birds are made desolate; eggs being crushed and eaten on the spot; when there are no birds to carry off to the rickety; coarse nest in the high tree top in the woods。 The fish crow; however; is the much greater enemy of the birds。 Like the common crows; this; their smaller cousin; likes to congregate in winter along the seacoast to feed upon shell…fish and other sea…food that the tide brings to its feet。

Samuels claims to have seen a pair of crows visit an orchard and destroy the young in two robins' nests in half an hour。 He calculates that two crows kill; in one day alone; young birds that in the course of the season would have eaten a hundred thousand insects。 When; in addition to these atrocities; we remember the crow's depredations in the corn…field; it is small wonder that among the first laws enacted in New York State was one offering a reward for its head。 But the more scientific agriculturists now concede that the crow is the farmer's true friend。


FISH CROW (Corvus ossifragus) Crow family

Length  14 to 16 inches。 About half as large again as the   robin。 Male and Female  Glossy black; with purplish…blue reflections;   generally greener underneath。 Chin naked。 Range  Along Atlantic coast and that of the Gult of Mexico;   northward to southern New England。 Rare stragglers or) the   Pacific coast。 Migrations  March or April。 September。 Summer resident only at   northern limit of range。 Is found in Hudson River valley about   half…way to Albany。

Compared with the common crow; with which it is often confounded; the fish crow is of much smaller; more slender build。 Thus its flight is less labored and more like a gull's; whose habit of catching fish that may be swimming near the surface of the water it sometimes adopts。 Both Audubon and Wilson; who first made this species known; record its habit of snatching food as it flies over the southern waters  a rare practice at the north。 Its plumage; too; differs slightly from the common crow's in being a richer black everywhere; and particularly underneath; where the 〃corn thief〃 is dull。 But it is the difference between the two crows' call…note that we chiefly depend upon to distinguish these confusing cousins。 To say that the fish crow says car…r…r instead of a loud; clear caw; means little until we have had an opportunity to compare its hoarse; cracked voice with the other bird's familiar call。

From the farmer's point of view; there is still another distinction: the fish crow lets his crops alone。 It contents itself with picking up refuse on the shores of the sea or rivers not far inland; haunting the neighborhood of fishermen's huts for the small fish discarded when the seines are drawn; and treading out with its toes the shell…fish hidden in the sand at low tide。 When we see it in the fields it is usually intent upon catching field…mice; grubs; and worms; with which it often varies its fish diet。 It is; however; the worst nest robber we have; it probably destroys ten times as many eggs and young birds as its larger cousin。

The fishermen have a tradition that this southern crow comes and goes with the shad and herring  a saw which science unkindly disapproves。


AMERICAN RAVEN

(Corvus corax principalis) Crow family

Called also: NORTHERN RAVEN; 'COMMON RAVEN; AOU 1998'

Length  26 to 27 inches。 Nearly three times as large as a   robin。 Male and Female  Glossy black above; with purplish and greenish   reflections。 Duller underneath。 Feathers of the throat and   breast long and loose; like fringe。 Range  North America; from polar regions to Mexico。 Rare along   Atlantic coast and in the south。 Common in the west; and very   abundant in the northwest。 Migrations  An erratic wanderer; usually resident where it   finds its way。

The weird; uncanny voice of this great bird that soars in wide circles above the evergreen trees of dark northern forests seems to come out of the skies like the malediction of an evil spirit。 Without uttering the words of any language  Poe's 〃Nevermore〃 was; of course; a poetic license  people of all nationalities appear to understand that some dire calamity; some wicked portent; is being announced every time the unbirdlike creature utters its rasping call。 The superstitious folk crow with an 〃I told you so;〃 as they solemnly wag their heads when they hear; of some death in the village after 〃the bird of ill…omen〃 has made an unwelcome visit to the neighborhoodit receives the blame for every possible misfortune。

When seen in the air; the crow is the only other bird for which the raven could be mistaken; but the raven does more sailing and less flapping; and he delights in describing circles as he easily soars high above the trees。 On the ground; he is seen to be a far larger bird than the largest crow。 The curious beard or fringe of feathers on his breast at once distinguishes him。

These birds show the family instinct for living in flocks large and small; not of ravens only; but of any birds of their own genera。 In the art of nest building they could instruct most of their relatives。 High up in evergreen trees or on the top of cliffs; never very near the seashore; they make a compact; symmetrical nest of sticks; neatly lined with grasses and wool from the sheep pastures; adding soft; comfortable linings to the old nest from year to year for each new brood。 When the young emerge from the eggs; which take many curious freaks of color and markings; they are pied black and white; suggesting the young of the western white…necked raven; a similarity which; so far as plumage is concerned; they quickly outgrow。 They early acquire the fortunate habit of eating whatever their parents set before them   grubs; worms; grain; field…mice; anything; in fact; for the raven is a conspicuously omnivorous bird。


PURPLE GRACKLE (Quiscalus quiscula) Blackbird family

Called also: CROW BLACKBIRD; MAIZE THIEF; KEEL…TAILED GRACKLE;   'COMMON GRACKLE; AOU 1998'

Length  12 to 13 inches。 About one…fourth as large again as the   robin。 Male  Iridescent black; in which metallic violet; blue; copper;   and green tints predominate。 The plumage of this grackle has   iridescent bars。 Iris of eye bright yellow and conspicuous。   Tail longer than wings。 Female  Less brilliant black than male; and smaller。 Range  Gulf of Mexico to 57th parallel north latitude。  Migrations  Permanent resident in Southern States。 Few are   permanent throughout range。 Migrates in immense flocks in March   and September。

This 〃refined crow〃 (which is really no crow at all except in appearance) has scarcely more friends than a thief is entitled to; for; although in many sections of the country it has given up its old habit of stealing Indian corn and substituted rav

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 2 0

你可能喜欢的